Essential public health competencies in nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Delphi study

Background & Aim: Nursing practice, characterized by its multifaceted nature, encompasses diverse settings and situations in public health, making it difficult to clearly define the role of nurses in this setting. The study aimed to determine the applicability and relevance of the Regional Core Competency Framework for Public Health in nursing practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods & Materials: Study based on the Delphi methodology, a structured approach to the systematic collectión of expert opinions, to obtain group agreements. Twenty-one nurses working in public health areas during the pandemic participated. Results: The competencies most applied by the nurses were in the domain of health situation analysis and surveillance and risk and damage control. 95% of the nurses were involved in care actions to prevent contagion; 71% analyzed social determinants of health, 100% were involved in the domain of policies, planning, regulation, and control, and 86% in the domain of health promotion. 89% made decisions to favor access to preventive and health care services. 78% valued social participation actions and 76% implemented immediate responses to COVID-19. Conclusion: The main public health competencies used by nursing for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic are the management of educational processes, health promotion, primary health care, analysis of social determinants, management of health policies, information analysis, and management of immediate responses to challenges generated by COVID-19.